(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to naval submarine design and construction, and is directed more particularly to a novel assembly for underwater launching of bodies, such as torpedoes, mines, missiles, unmanned underwater vehicles, and the like.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
The horizontal launch of torpedoes and other weapons and devices from submarines has traditionally been conducted with torpedo tubes, typically arranged in groups of two. An impulse tank ports water from an ejection pump to each of the two tubes. Two impulse tank and tube group assemblies are located at the bow of the boat, one assembly on the starboard side and one assembly on the port side.
The aft ends of the tubes are located in a torpedo room and penetrate the forward pressure hull to provide a path to the outboard sea environment. The torpedo room is among the most complex and expensive aspects of submarine design and construction, due in large part to the inherent risk of large pressure hull penetrators, i.e., torpedo tubes of at least twenty-one inches in diameter.
There is a need for a new submarine launch system which does not require large or multiple pressure hull penetrations, in which the bodies to be launched may be stored outside of the pressure hull, and which is, in general, of less cost, weight and complexity than existing systems.